What is iidako in sushi?飯蛸
This time, I looked into the various names and seasons for sushi iidako.
How to call iidako
【iidako】a small octopus イイダコ 飯蛸
The great octopus is also known as the “baby octopus,” and is so named because of the appearance of the eggs that are lined up tightly on the female’s body. This is still used as the dialect name for the octopus in some regions.
In other regions, it seems that they are called Ishidako” andKaidako.” In some areas of Yamaguchi Prefecture, it is expressed as Tamairi” orTamanashi.”
The peak season for iidako
Octopus (octopus) can be caught throughout the year, but it is especially in season during the cold months from January to April. During this period, the rice octopus grows large and begins to have children. Rice octopus with roe is also called “rice octopus”, and its name comes from the fact that when octopus with roe is boiled, the eggs inside look like rice grains, or because the texture is similar to rice grains. It is said that this is because it looks like this.
Although the body of rice octopus is small, the eggs are much larger than those of common octopus, which gives it a chewy texture. It is said that the rice octopus with eggs is the most delicious when eaten boiled.
In addition, octopus can be caught along the coasts of various places, but the known production areas include Kagawa, Ehime, and Hyogo along the Seto Inland Sea, as well as Aichi Prefecture facing Mikawa Bay, Kumamoto Prefecture and Fukuoka Prefecture facing the Ariake Sea. Etc.
